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Golf clubs making a meal of outsourced catering

JOHANNESBURG (9 June 2015) - Catering is one of the biggest challenges golf clubs face as they seek to achieve a consistent offering of quality that can match the standards of the course and the status of the club.

It's a challenge that the PGA of South Africa has tackled by identifying a credible outsourcing solution through its partnership with the Wiesenhof/Dulce franchise, and encouraging golf clubs to follow this model.

There are currently seven golf clubs in South Africa that make use of Wiesenhof/Dulce for their catering, including Observatory Golf Club; Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club; The Els Club, Copperleaf; Woodhill Golf Estate; Ebotse Golf Estate; Boschenmeer Golf Estate and the Gilloolys Golf Village.

And for Brigid Jaucot, the marketing manager for Wiesenhof/Dulce, the outsourcing solution makes perfect sense for these clubs.

"Catering is not a golf club's core business, so by outsourcing this it takes a lot of the hassle off of their shoulders."

But Jaucot takes this a step further by suggesting that simply outsourcing to a private company is also not the most effective solution.

"By outsourcing to a franchise the golf club benefits from a better support network than a private company could offer.

"For example, if there are any problems then as a franchise we are better placed to assist. When we open a new store at a golf club we spend two to three months with the new owner, assisting them with the set-up. And we visit them on a weekly basis. Our stores at some of the bigger golf clubs also have executive chefs in them, which is critical in terms of the quality catering we offer. And it's very much a two-way street in terms of the working relationship with the golf club. The club has input in terms of what they'd like to see on the menu."

The success of this solution is evidenced by the fact that clubs such as Ebotse, Boschenmeer, Woodhill and Observatory have achieved growth of between 20% to 47% on the performance of their previous caterers.

"Golf clubs are beginning to realise that they are losing money by trying to manage the catering themselves. If you are not one hundred per cent hands on with your catering, then you are losing out."

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About the PGA of South Africa

The Professional Golfers Association of South Africa is a members' organization of over 500 qualified Club Professionals. The PGA was founded in 1925 and lists amongst its members over the years many of South Africa's greatest golfers and most dedicated servants of the game.

The PGA is committed to training and serving golf pros whose principal aim is to offer a highly professional service to golfers in all aspects of the game.